Following the
successful launch and deployment of two inflatable space modules, on Monday the owner and
founder of Bigelow Aerospace announced plans to move ahead with the
launch of its first human habitable spacecraft, the Sundancer.
The
decision to fast-track Sundancer was made in part to rising launch costs as
well as the ability to test some systems on the ground, company CEO Robert
Bigelow said in a press statement.
"As anyone
associated with the aerospace industry is aware, global launch costs have been
rising rapidly over the course of the past few years," Bigelow is quoted as
saying. "These price hikes have been most acute in Russia due to a number of
factors including inflation, previous artificially low launch costs and the
falling value of the U.S. dollar."
The
announcement follows the success earlier this year of the launch of Genesis 2,
the second inflatable module launched by Bigelow Aerospace as a prototype for
future commercial space stations in Earth orbit. The U.S. firm launched its
first spacecraft, Genesis 1, in July 2006, which remains operational today.
Bigelow
Aerospace had planned to take a stepping-stone approach to the development of
its space modules. Next in line after Genesis 2 was to be the larger Galaxy
module scheduled to launch in the latter part of 2008.
But the "dramatic
rise in launch costs has forced us to rethink our strategy with Galaxy,"
Bigelow said. "Due to the fact that a high percentage of the systems Galaxy was
meant to test can be effectively validated on a terrestrial basis, the
technical value of launching the spacecraft – particularly after the successful
launch of both Genesis 1 and 2 – is somewhat marginal."
The Sundancer
module will provide 180 cubic meters of habitable space and will come fully equipped
with life-support systems, attitude control and on-orbit maneuverability, as well
as reboost and deorbit capability. This larger module – sporting a trio of
windows – could support a three-person crew and be on orbit in the second half of
2010, Bigelow told Space News in March of this year.
"We still
intend to construct and test the Galaxy spacecraft and/or various parts of it
in order to gain familiarity and experience with critical subsystems," Bigelow
said in the release. "However, by eliminating the launch of Galaxy, we believe
that [Bigelow Aerospace] can move more expeditiously to our next step by
focusing exclusively on the challenging and exciting task presented by the
Sundancer program."
"With this
decision made, the future of entrepreneurial, private sector-driven space
habitats and complexes could be arriving much earlier than any of us had
previously anticipated," Bigelow said.
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